Docs back President, Rajitha on tobacco, beer issues

December 6, 2017, 10:48 pm

Dr. Aluthge

by Dilanthi Jayamanne

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) yesterday pledged to throw its weight behind the President and the Health Minister in their efforts to defeat the budget proposals for reducing beer and introducing new permit for importing cigarettes.

GMOA Secretary, Dr Haritha Aluthge said the Health Minister had called for the annulment of all budget proposals which were detrimental to the health of Sri Lankans before the end of the third reading of the 2018 budget. Hopefully, the Opposition against alcohol and tobacco by the President and the Health Minister would not be restricted to words but would be put into action, he added.

The GMOA Secretary said that according to economists the amendment on alcohol taxes would reduce the price of beer by approximately 33 per cent. Economists had also warned that it would jack up alcohol consumption by over 22 per cent in 2018.

Dr Aluthge alleged said that even the statistics used by the Finance Minister during his budget speech on November 9 to justify the proposed amendments had been false.